How To Pack A China Cabinet

When filled with ornate crystal or heirloom dishware, glass china cabinets are a lovely, classic home accent. However, transporting them requires care and precision. If you don’t pack them properly, pieces can come loose or worse, glass breakage can occur. Below is a comprehensive 3-step guide on how to move your delicate valuables.

Step 1: Disassemble all loose parts.

In order to determine the best way to pack your cabinet, you must first assess how many easily disassembled parts are attached to your cabinet. Each piece that can be removed — glass shelves, knobs, etc. — need to be wrapped in paper or bubble wrap and boxed along with the pieces inside the cabinet (dishes, candles, and the like). Basically, anything not permanently built into the cabinet should be packed away to make for an easier, less stressful transport. This step should be done the day before a move.

Step 2: Separate the upper and lower parts of the china cabinet. Wrap the lower part.

Most standard china cabinets have two large parts: the top, with all the glass shelves, and a bottom, usually just a set of wooden drawers. If you’re working with wood, remember—all wood needs to be covered for safe moving to avoid scratching. Furniture padding, which can be purchased or rented, is ideal for transporting wood, but any spare quilts or blankets will work fine as well.

Wrap packing tape or plastic wrap around the padding or blankets. If you choose to use tape it is important not to let the sticky side of tape touch the wood or any glass parts, as the tape will tear the finish from the cabinet when removed.

Now the lower part of the china cabinet is ready to be loaded into the truck.

3. Pack the upper part of the china cabinet.

Wrap a strip of packing tape around the top and bottom perimeter of the glass upper part of the china cabinetsticky side facing out. Use sheets of cardboard (unfolded cardboard boxes work fine) to cover all the glass. Use another layer of tape around the cardboard once the glass is completely covered. Now cover the cardboard layer with a layer of furniture padding, and wrap packing tape around the top and bottom of the cabinet to secure. Now you’re ready to load your boxes of loose parts, pad-wrapped top shelf, and pad-wrapped bottom drawers into the moving van.